Alaska residential solar energy incentives

Energy efficiency interest rate reduction program

  • Through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, this program offers a .25% - .50% interest rate reduction to home buyers who purchase a home with a 5 star plus energy rating.

  • Existing homes with energy improvements are offered a .125% - .750% interest rate reduction.

  • Interest rates are eligible for the first $200,000 of the purchase price of the new or existing home.

Second mortgage program for energy conservation

  • This state loan program offers loans up to $30,000 over 15 years to borrowers who make energy improvements on their homes.

  • The interest rate of the loan is set at the Taxable Program 15-year rate.

  • All eligible improvements must be listed by an AKWarm certified energy rater and completed with one year of the loan closing.

Home energy rebate program

  • Through this program, homeowners are eligible to receive a rebate for some of the expenditures of energy efficiency improvements made on their home.

  • Qualified improvements for these rebates must be on the energy ratings improvement options list. Rebates are dependent on receipts and the amount of efficiency gained.

  • Homeowners may receive rebates up to $10,000 plus $500 for an energy audit.

  • For qualified new 5 star plus homes, a $7,500 rebate is provided by this program.

Golden Valley Electric Association – Sustainable natural alternative power (SNAP) program

  • The SNAP program offers members who install renewable energy generators connected to their utility’s electrical distribution system a $/kWh incentive.

  • Depending on the amount contributed through the green pricing program of the Golden Valley Electric Association, the owner of the renewable energy generated is paid an incentive amount by the utility.

    • Owners of the generated renewable power in the SNAP program do not keep any of the power they produce.

    • Maximum incentive offered is $1.50/kilowatt.

  • Qualified renewable energy resources for this program include solar or wind energy, biomass and other alternative energy resources.

    • Systems are limited to maximum capacity of 25 kilowatts.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit

  • This personal tax credit allows the taxpayer to claim a credit of 30% of expenditures including labor costs and installation of qualified residential solar-electric systems, solar water heating systems or fuel cells. Small wind-energy systems and geothermal heat pumps can also be accredited for.

  • Solar-electric systems and solar water heaters have a maximum incentive of $2,000 if placed in service before 2009. There is no maximum incentive for systems placed after 2008.

  • The excess amount of the federal tax credit may be carried forward to the next taxable year if it exceeds tax liability.

    • This can be carried forward until 2016, but after that, it is unknown if the unused credit will be able to be forwarded.

Residential Energy Conservation Subsidy Exclusion

  • This is a personal exemption of 100% of energy conservation subsidies provided by public utilities.

  • The value of a purchase or installation of any energy conservation measure by a customer such as solar water heat, solar space heat or photovoltaics will not be included in the customer’s gross income.

  • Customers of an electric utility company, who participate in the utility’s energy conservation program, may receive a rate reduction of electricity furnished or a nonrefundable credit against the purchase price of the electricity on each monthly electric bill.

Energy-Efficient Mortgages

  • This is a federal loan program where homeowners can use EEM (energy-efficient mortgages) to finance renewable energy technologies in a home